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☆ With an Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter, Birder Breaks Record for Sightings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Joe Trezza | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Feb. 9, Peter Kaestner stood in the shadow of majestic Tinuy-an Falls on the Philippine island of Mindanao, on the cusp of a record he’d spent seven decades chasing and worried that he’d arrived too late. For years, nobody alive had seen and identified more bird species than Mr. Kaestner. An obsessive birder since childhood, Mr. Kaestner woke up that morning in February with 9,997 birds on his personal “life list” — more than 90 percent of Earth’s scientifically recognized species and three away from a singular milestone. A few weeks earlier, in an essay for the American Birding Association, he had outlined his plans to become the first person to document 10,000 sightings; shortly after, new information forced him to expedite his plans. “I realized when I was writing it that I was putting a target on my back,” Mr. Kaestner said from his home in Cockeysville, Md.

Persons: Peter Kaestner, he’d, Kaestner, lister, ”, “, ” Mr Organizations: American Birding Association Locations: Philippine, Mindanao, American, Cockeysville, Md

☆ Maco, Philippines landslide: Girl’s ‘miraculous’ rescue offers hope for families of dozens buried
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

In a statement on Facebook, the Davao de Oro provincial government said at least 11 people were killed Tuesday when the landslide swept Maco, including the remote gold mining village of Masara on the island of Mindanao, following intense rains. The girl is in a stable condition, the government added, with Davao de Oro Gov. Dorothy Gonzaga saying her rescue had provided a “sign of hope.”Rescue teams search for missing miners in Maco, Davao de Oro, Philippines on February 8, 2024. The long wait for news of his missing son had become unbearable, resident Wilfredo Pilones told state broadcaster PTV on Thursday. “They’ll get buried deeper even more.”The region is resource-rich, with raw metals buried under sprawling mountainous highlands dotted with agricultural villages.

Persons: Dorothy Gonzaga, Jeoffrey, Wilfredo Pilones, ”, “ They’ll Organizations: CNN, Facebook, Davao de, Davao de Oro Gov, ”, Getty, PTV, Apex Mining, National Disaster Locations: Philippines, Davao, Davao de Oro, Masara, Mindanao, Maco, Davao de Oro , Philippines, Anadolu

☆ Philippines' Marcos Says Secessionist Threats 'Doomed to Fail'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday that calls for independence for the country's southern island of Mindanao were a "constitutional travesty" and "doomed to fail." "The new call for a separate Mindanao is doomed to fail, for it is anchored on a false premise, not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty," Marcos said in a speech on Constitution Day without naming his outspoken predecessor. "I strongly appeal to all concerned to stop this call for a separate Mindanao. "This is not the new Philippines that we are trying to mold. That was followed by Marcos' defence chief on Monday vowing to strictly enforce the country's sovereignty after Duterte's secessionist threats.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos, Duterte, Karen Lema, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Sunday Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Republic

☆ Landslide in Southern Philippines Buries Two Buses, Injures 11
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - A landslide triggered by heavy rains in a southern Philippine province buried two buses, injuring at least 11 people, disaster officials said on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on board the buses. Those injured, including one in critical condition, were taken to a hospital, Maco town's disaster agency said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. The disaster agency also issued evacuation orders in five villages in Maco, located on the island of Mindanao. A northeast monsoon and a trough of low pressure has brought rains in southern Mindanao region from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, resulting in deadly floods and landslides, data from the national disaster agency show.

Persons: Karen Lema, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Apex Mining Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Maco, Davao de Oro, Mindanao, Jan

☆ Floods, Landslides Kill at Least 20 People in Southern Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - At least 20 people have died after days of torrential rains in parts of the southern Philippines, provincial disaster agencies said on Monday. Thirteen people died in Davao de Oro province while two were missing, and seven people were killed in neighbouring Davao del Norte, disaster agency officials said. A northeast monsoon and trough of a low pressure area brought rains in southern Mindanao region from Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, resulting in deadly floods and landslides, data from the national disaster agency show. In mid-January, 18 people died due to floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in southern Philippines. Landslides and floods are frequent in the Southeast Asian nation, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands that is hit by about 20 tropical storms annually.

Persons: Neil Jerome Morales, Bernadette Baum Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Mindanao, Jan

☆ Philippines Ready to Use 'Forces' to Quell Any Secession Attempt Official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Duterte has called for the independence of his hometown Mindanao from the Philippines as his alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr disintegrated this week over disagreements around efforts to amend the constitution. National security adviser Eduardo Ano said in a statement any attempt to secede "will be met by the government with resolute force", citing "recent calls to separate Mindanao" but without specifically naming Duterte. "The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic," Ano said. Ano said calls for secession could reverse the gains of government's peace deal with former separatist groups. Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told soldiers on Saturday "to remain united and loyal to the constitution and the chain of command".

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Duterte, Eduardo Ano, Ano, Ahod Ebrahim, Carlito Galvez Jr, Romeo Brawner, Mikhail Flores, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Moro Islamic Liberation Locations: MANILA, Philippine, Mindanao, Philippines, Moro Islamic

☆ Buildings evacuated as quake rattles Philippine capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Lisa Marie David Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Workers, residents, and students evacuated buildings in the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday after an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck off the main Luzon island, according to the state seismology agency and images carried by media. It recorded the offshore earthquake at magnitude 5.9, with a depth of 79 kilometres (49.09 miles). Images shared by media on X showed government workers leaving congress, senate, presidential palace, justice ministry buildings. Three people died from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the southern Philippines on Saturday night. A separate magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Mindanao early Monday morning.

Persons: Lisa Marie David Acquire, Michael Orayani, Neil Jerome Morales, Mikhail Flores, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, Rights MANILA, Philippine, Luzon, Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, Mindanao

☆ Philippine quake aftershocks force thousands to stay in evacuation centres
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People gather at an evacuation center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. "We are scared up to now because of the aftershocks," Alex Arana, disaster agency chief of Surigao del Sur, told DZBB radio station. Two people died -- one as a result of falling debris and another because of a collapsed wall -- and eight were injured in Surigao del Sur, Arana said. As of late on Sunday, more than 108,000 people were staying in 115 evacuation centres in Surigao del Sur, government data show. We choose to stay here at the evacuation centre for now," Susan Clor, a resident of Hinatuan town in Surigao del Sur, told GMA television station.

Persons: Hinatuan, Alex Arana, Arana, Susan Clor, Neil Jerome Morales, Neil Fullick Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, GMA, Thomson Locations: Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines, Handout, Rights MANILA, Tagum, Davao del Norte province, Mindanao, Philippine, Earthquakes

☆ United States condemns 'horrific terrorist attack' in southern Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The United States condemned the "horrific terrorist attack" during a Catholic Mass at a university in southern Philippines that killed at least four people and injured dozens, the State Department said on Sunday. The United States is in close contact with its Philippine partners and stands with Filipinos in rejecting the act of violence, it said in a statement. "We continue patrols and security in schools is tighter," Major Alinaid Moner, spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur police office, told News5 radio station on Monday. Mindanao State University (MSU) is continuing operations as it is the period for final exams, Moner said. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and security officials said on Sunday the crime was perpetrated by "foreign terrorists".

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Alinaid Moner, Moner, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Mindanao State University, REUTERS, Rights, State Department, MSU, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, Rights MANILA, United States, Lanao del Sur

MANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The Philippines lifted a tsunami alert early on Sunday as waves receded from a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the south of the country, triggering coastal evacuations and some waves in there and in Japan. More than 500 aftershocks were recorded, and the Philippines' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) urged caution as people resumed normal activities. "The tsunami threat associated with this earthquake has now largely passed the Philippines," Phivolcs said in a statement but advised people in threatened communities to heed the instructions from local authorities. [1/4]People gather at an evacuation center, in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines December 2, 2023. Japan's Hachijojima island, some 290 km (180 miles) south of Tokyo, recorded waves of 40 cm (1.3 feet), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Persons: Phivolcs, Bicap, Hinatuan, Philvolcs, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, William Mallard Organizations: Institute of, Philippine Coast Guard, Reuters, REUTERS Acquire, Centre . Earthquakes, Japan Meteorological Agency, U.S ., Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Japan, Mindanao, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Bislig, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Handout, Centre, Hinatuan province, Tokyo, U.S, Surigao City, Manila

☆ Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes Mindanao, Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Mindanao in the Philippines in the early hours of Monday morning, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said. The quake was at a depth of 38 km (23.61 miles), GFZ said. GFZ earlier pegged the earthquake's magnitude at 6.3. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake. Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: GFZ, Nilutpal, Andrew Heavens Organizations: German Research Centre, Geosciences, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Mindanao, Philippines, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ 'Foreign terrorists' behind deadly Philippine bombing — officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr condemned a deadly bombing on Sunday, blaming "foreign terrorists", as police and the military strengthened security in the country's south and around the capital Manila. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists," Marcos said in a statement. Law enforcement operations to bring to justice the perpetrators of the "terrorist activity" will "continue unabated", Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a press conference. There were "strong indications of a foreign element" in the bombing, Teodoro said, refusing to elaborate so as not to compromise ongoing investigation. Fragments of a 16-mm mortar were recovered at the scene, senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told the press conference.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Gilberto Teodoro, Teodoro, Emmanuel Peralta Organizations: Mindanao State University Locations: Marawi, Manila

☆ Three dead in blast during Mass in Philippine university gym - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Lanao Del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. stands among law enforcement officers as they investigate the scene of an explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Mindanao State University, Sunday, Islamic, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, MANILA, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

☆ Islamic State claims responsibility for deadly Philippine bombing
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Lanao Del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. looks on as law enforcement officers investigate the scene of an explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023. Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsDec 3 (Reuters) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on a Catholic mass in the Philippines on Sunday that killed at least four people and injured 50 others. The group wrote on Telegram that its members detonated a bomb in the gathering. Reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo; editing by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Ahmed Tolba, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Mindanao State University, REUTERS Acquire, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Lanao Del Sur, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government, Cairo

☆ Explosion at a Catholic Mass in the Philippines Kills at Least 4 and Injures Dozens
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jason Gutierrez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At least four people were killed and around 50 others injured Sunday in an explosion at a Roman Catholic Mass inside a university gymnasium in the southern Philippine city of Marawi, the military and police said, adding that they suspected the involvement of the Islamic State affiliate in the Philippines. The blast, thought to be caused by a grenade or a homemade bomb, ripped through a gymnasium at Mindanao State University. The university, in Lanao del Sur province, had been at the center of fighting in 2017 that displaced more than 100,000 people, after local and foreign Islamic State militants laid siege to Marawi. At least 1,200 militants, government forces and civilians were killed during those battles, which lasted for five months. In a statement, Lanao del Sur province’s top official, Gov.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong Organizations: Islamic State, Mindanao State University, Islamic, Gov Locations: Philippine, Marawi, Philippines, Lanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur

☆ Three Dead in Blast During Mass in Philippine University Gym - Police
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) -Three people were killed and nine wounded when an explosion ripped through a Catholic Mass in a university gymnasium in the southern Philippines on Sunday, police said. The authorities are investigating the explosion at Mindanao State University, the regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, told reporters, adding that one angle being pursued was possible revenge by pro-Islamic State militants. The blast occurred Marawi, a city besieged by Islamist militants in for five months in 2017. "I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning," Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said in a statement. Mindanao State University is "deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering," it said in a statement on Facebook.

Persons: General Allan Nobleza, Mamintal Adiong Jr, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, Mindanao State University, Islamic, Facebook Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Maguindanao del Sur province, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao

☆ Earthquake of 7.5 strikes Philippines, tsunami expected in Philippines and Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 2 (Reuters) - An earthquake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck Mindanao in the southern Philippines late on Saturday, triggering evacuation orders for some areas and southwestern Japanese coasts because of warnings of tsunami waves of a metre (3 feet) or more. The Philippine Seismology Agency Phivolcs said the waves could hit the Philippines by midnight (1600 GMT) and continue for hours. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there could be waves of up to 3 metres above the tide level along some Philippine coasts. The Japanese broadcaster NHK said tsunami waves of up to a metre were expected to reach Japan's southwestern coast around 30 minutes later - by 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (1630 GMT on Saturday). The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said a quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles).

Persons: Agency Phivolcs, Phivolcs, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft, Alison Williams Organizations: Agency, U.S ., NHK, Seismological, U.S . Geographic Survey, Thomson Locations: Mindanao, Philippines, Philippine, U.S, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Japanese, Hinatuan, Earthquakes, Bengaluru, Manila, Tokyo

☆ Strong Quake in Philippines Triggers Tsunami Warnings and Evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Evacuations were continuing in the Philippines, where there were no initial reports of significant wave damage or casualties despite continuing aftershocks. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Phivolcs, maintained that the risk of a tsunami remained. However, the two provinces are largely rural and not densely populated, unlike other parts of the Philippines. The EMSC said the quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles), while the U.S. Geographic Survey put the quake at magnitude 7.6 and a depth of 32 km (20 miles), and said it had struck at 10:37 p.m. (1437 GMT).

Persons: Mikhail Flores MANILA, Phivolcs, Raymark Gentallan, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, EMSC, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams, David Holmes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S ., Philippine Institute of, Japan Meteorological Agency, Seismological, Reuters, Earthquakes, U.S . Geographic Survey Locations: Philippines, Mindanao, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Hinatuan, Surigao City, Bengaluru, Manila

☆ Mindanao blast: Three people killed as explosion hits Sunday mass service in Philippine university gym
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heather Chen | Alex | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least three people were killed and nine injured by an explosion at a Sunday mass service being held in a university gymnasium in the Philippines, according to a regional official. The blast took place in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on Sunday morning, according to CNN affiliate CNN Philippines. Governor of the Lanao del Sur province, Mamintal Adiong Jr., condemned what he called a “violent bombing incident” on a gymnasium at the Mindanao State University during a Sunday mass congregation. Mindanao, a province in the far south of the Philippines, sits at the borders of Malaysia and Indonesia and is home to several Islamist insurgent groups including Abu Sayyaf. The island, the second largest in the Philippines, has long been a hotbed of insurgency against the Philippine government.

Persons: Mamintal Adiong, Abu Sayyaf Organizations: CNN, CNN Philippines, Mindanao State University, ISIS Locations: Philippines, Marawi, Mindanao, Lanao del Sur province, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine

☆ Philippines says at least six killed in Friday's magnitude 6.7 quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The death toll from a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the southern Philippines has increased to six and authorities are searching for two missing people, local disaster officials said on Saturday. A man and his wife died when a concrete wall collapsed on them, while another woman was killed in a shopping mall, Dacera said. In Davao Occidental province, a 78-year-old man died after being crushed by a rock, Franz Irag, civil defense officer in the Davao region, told DWPM radio. Power supply has been restored and most roads are passable, disaster officials said, adding that reports were mostly of minor damage to homes and buildings. The Philippines lies within the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

Persons: Agripino, General Santos, Dacera, Angel Dugaduga, Franz Irag, Neil Jerome Morales, Chris Reese, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: German Research Center, Geosciences, General, General Santos City, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Mindanao, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Glan, Davao Occidental province, Davao

The quake struck off Mindanao island at a depth of 60 km (37.3 miles), according to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ). PHIVOLCS director Teresito Bacolcol told DZRH radio the earthquake's intensity was "destructive, so we would expect damage". The earthquake lasted several seconds, he said, advising residents to be on alert for aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.2. Radio announcer Leny Aranego in General Santos city, close to Glan, said the quake shook buildings and desks. Michael Ricafort, an economist at the lender RCBC, said in a Facebook post passengers at General Santos City airport were evacuated to the tarmac.

Persons: Angel Dugaduga, Amor Mio, Mio, Teresito Bacolcol, Leny Aranego, Michael Ricafort, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Neil Jerome Morales, Mikhail Flores, Kanupriya Kapoor, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Fire, German Research Center, Geosciences, General Santos, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Fire MANILA, Mindanao, Glan, Earthquakes, Philippine, Koronadal, General Santos, Bengaluru, Manila

☆ Philippines says Japan, S.Korea, India offer to fund railway projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Japan, South Korea and India have offered to finance three Philippine railway projects worth nearly $5 billion, the country's transport chief said on Monday, after Manila dropped China as a funding source last year. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Philippine government could tap the three countries for possible official development assistance (ODA). He said the government may also fund a portion of the rail projects or seek private sector investments. The rail projects are the Subic-Clark Railway Project, the Philippine National Railways South Long-Haul Project and the Davao-Digos segment of the Mindanao Railway Project, collectively worth $4.95 billion. Construction of the Philippines' first subway train, funded by loans from Japan, is underway in the capital region.

Persons: Jaime Bautista, Bautista, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte, Marcos, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Transportation, Clark Railway, Philippine National Railways, Mindanao Railway Project, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Japan, South Korea, India, Philippine, Manila, China, Subic, Davao, Mindanao, Beijing, Philippines, Asia

☆ Philippines reveals locations of 4 new strategic sites for U.S. military pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems. Defence chief Carlito Galvez called the sites "very strategic" and stressed the Philippines had a responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea. "Their locations are in areas where they are needed," said Jay Batongbacal, a South China Sea expert at the University of the Philippines. "It also provides us with coverage not only on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) but also on the Pacific side," he added. The United States has committed more than $80 million worth of infrastructure at the five existing sites - the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Mindanao.

☆ Fire on passenger ferry in Philippines kills 10 - coast guard
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Philippine Coast Guard respond to the fire incident onboard M/V LADY MARY JOY 3 at the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, Philippines, March 29, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSMANILA, March 30 (Reuters) - Ten people have died and 230 have been rescued after a passenger ferry caught fire on Wednesday evening in the seas off the southern Philippine province of Basilan, a coast guard official said. Nine people were injured in the fire that started in air-conditioned cabins, Commodore Rejard Marfe, coast guard chief in southern Mindanao, told the DZMM radio station. Photographs shared by the Coast Guard showed the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 ship being sprayed with water, while rescued passengers were brought to the shore. The Coast Guard said it will assist in an investigation and safety assessment, as well check for any signs of an oil spill.

☆ Magnitude 6 earthquake hits Mindanao, Philippines – EMSC
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MANILA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Mindanao in the Philippines on Wednesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake struck at a depth of 2 kilometres (1.24 miles), the EMSC said. It was felt in Davao City, hometown of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the region's civil disaster agency said on Facebook. The earthquake was felt more strongly in the nearby province of Davao de Oro. Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales in Manila; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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